Is Arceus viable in Gen 9 Anything Goes?

Arceus is ranked #4 in Gen 9 Anything Goes with 40.03% usage according to Smogon Mar 2026 - May 2026 data.

What beats Arceus in Gen 9 Anything Goes?

The best counter for Arceus in Gen 9 Anything Goes is Skarmory with a 85.2% win rate when they meet. Based on Smogon's Mar 2026 - May 2026 usage data, the top Pokémon that beat Arceus include Skarmory, Dondozo, Garganacl, Skeledirge, Glalie.

What is the best counter for Arceus in Gen 9 Anything Goes?

Skarmory is the best counter for Arceus in Gen 9 Anything Goes, KOing or forcing it out in 85.2% of their encounters.

Arceus counters

Gen 9 Anything Goes · Sorted by reliability score · Smogon · Mar 2026 - May 2026

#0493 Arceus

Normal

USAGE 40.0% #4

BASE STATS

HP 120

ATK 120

DEF 120

SPA 120

SPD 120

SPE 120

BST720

TYPE MATCHUPS

2×

Fighting

0×

Ghost

Moves

Extreme Speed 87.0% Shadow Claw 74.7% Swords Dance 67.1% Recover 44.7% Taunt 26.8% Earthquake 14.1% Bulk Up 13.6% Trick Room 10.8%

Items

Heavy-Duty Boots 29.0% Silk Scarf 23.4% Mental Herb 23.1% Leftovers 9.4% Lum Berry 4.8% Life Orb 4.5% Chople Berry 1.9% Cheri Berry 1.1%

Tera Types

Normal 50.7% Fire 21.1% Ghost 17.7% Dark 4.2% Grass 2.6% Fairy 1.2% Ground 0.6% Flying 0.5%

Common Teammates

Browse Gen 9 Anything Goes teams using Arceus →

Teams using Skarmory 85% Teams using Dondozo 80% Teams using Garganacl 77% Teams using Skeledirge 64% Teams using Glalie 64% Teams using Zacian-Crowned 64%

Checks & Counters

Ranked by reliability — blends KO rate with how often each Pokémon is matched up.

# Checker Encounters Reliability KO Rate

Skarmory

SteelFlying DEFENSIVE COUNTER

80.584

85.2% dies 5.50%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Shadow Claw vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 45-54 (13.4 - 16.1%) -- possible 7HKO

View Skarmory counters → Teams with Skarmory →

Dondozo

Water DEFENSIVE COUNTER

326.643

80.1% dies 3.74%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo: 90-106 (17.8 - 21%) -- possible 7HKO

View Dondozo counters → Teams with Dondozo →

Garganacl

Rock DEFENSIVE COUNTER

94.446

77.0% dies 7.18%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Garganacl: 136-162 (33.6 - 40%) -- 32.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

View Garganacl counters → Teams with Garganacl →

Skeledirge

FireGhost DEFENSIVE COUNTER

440.978

64.4% dies 3.91%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skeledirge: 164-194 (39.8 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

View Skeledirge counters → Teams with Skeledirge →

Glalie

Ice DEFENSIVE COUNTER

23.603

64.2% dies 9.87%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Glalie: 114-135 (31.3 - 37%) -- 77.9% chance to 3HKO

Teams with Glalie →

Zacian-Crowned

FairySteel OFFENSIVE CHECK

899.829

63.6% dies 2.77%

DAMAGE CALC

+1 252+ Atk Zacian-Crowned Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 408-482 (91.8 - 108.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

View Zacian-Crowned counters → Teams with Zacian-Crowned →

Arceus-Water

Water DEFENSIVE COUNTER

167.423

63.5% dies 6.41%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Arceus-Water: 87-103 (19.5 - 23.1%) -- possible 5HKO

View Arceus-Water counters → Teams with Arceus-Water →

Calyrex-Ice

PsychicIce DEFENSIVE COUNTER

625.989

63.2% dies 3.34%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Shadow Claw vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex-Ice: 86-102 (21.2 - 25.2%) -- 0.1% chance to 4HKO

View Calyrex-Ice counters → Teams with Calyrex-Ice →

Sneasler

FightingPoison OFFENSIVE CHECK

125.63

59.6% dies 7.31%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Sneasler Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 368-434 (82.8 - 97.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

View Sneasler counters → Teams with Sneasler →

Gouging Fire

FireDragon DEFENSIVE COUNTER

39.935

57.1% dies 7.83%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Gouging Fire: 144-170 (34.7 - 41%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Teams with Gouging Fire →

Koraidon

FightingDragon OFFENSIVE CHECK

2,929.603

56.4% dies 1.59%

DAMAGE CALCSun

252+ Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Collision Course (133.3251953125 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 560-660 (126.1 - 148.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

View Koraidon counters → Teams with Koraidon →

Corviknight

FlyingSteel DEFENSIVE COUNTER

427.474

55.9% dies 4.12%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Shadow Claw vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 56-66 (14 - 16.5%)

View Corviknight counters → Teams with Corviknight →

Arceus-Poison

Poison SOFT CHECK

57.696

54.3% dies 9.19%

Ursaluna

GroundNormal SOFT CHECK

143.09

53.8% dies 6.99%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Ursaluna Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 260-306 (58.5 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

View Ursaluna counters → Teams with Ursaluna →

Clefable

Fairy SOFT CHECK

42.877

52.9% dies 10.47%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ SpA Clefable Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus: 88-105 (19.8 - 23.6%) -- possible 5HKO

View Clefable counters → Teams with Clefable →

Cloyster

WaterIce SOFT CHECK

23.032

51.4% dies 10.41%

Kingambit

DarkSteel SOFT CHECK

342.535

50.8% dies 4.61%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Kingambit Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 252-298 (56.7 - 67.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

View Kingambit counters → Teams with Kingambit →

Great Tusk

GroundFighting SOFT CHECK

26.831

49.9% dies 9.65%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 372-438 (83.7 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

View Great Tusk counters → Teams with Great Tusk →

Groudon

Ground SOFT CHECK

75.662

48.6% dies 7.91%

DAMAGE CALCSun

252+ Atk Groudon Precipice Blades vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 204-241 (45.9 - 54.2%) -- 54.3% chance to 2HKO

View Groudon counters → Teams with Groudon →

Arceus

Normal SOFT CHECK

2,162.196

48.2% dies 1.86%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Arceus Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 117-138 (26.3 - 31%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

View Arceus counters → Teams with Arceus →

Necrozma-Dusk-Mane

PsychicSteel SOFT CHECK

311.433

47.0% dies 4.89%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 178-210 (40 - 47.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

View Necrozma-Dusk-Mane counters → Teams with Necrozma-Dusk-Mane →

Urshifu-Rapid-Strike

FightingWater SOFT CHECK

24.916

46.8% dies 10.00%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 368-434 (82.8 - 97.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

View Urshifu-Rapid-Strike counters → Teams with Urshifu-Rapid-Strike →

Arceus-Ground

Ground SOFT CHECK

1,029.206

46.3% dies 2.68%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ SpA Earth Plate Arceus-Ground Judgment vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus: 129-153 (29 - 34.4%) -- 3.1% chance to 3HKO

View Arceus-Ground counters → Teams with Arceus-Ground →

Kyogre

Water SOFT CHECK

620.694

46.1% dies 3.44%

DAMAGE CALCRain

252+ SpA Kyogre Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus in Rain: 286-337 (64.4 - 75.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

View Kyogre counters → Teams with Kyogre →

Arceus-Fairy

Fairy SOFT CHECK

404.541

44.6% dies 4.26%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ SpA Pixie Plate Arceus-Fairy Judgment vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus: 129-153 (29 - 34.4%) -- 3.1% chance to 3HKO

View Arceus-Fairy counters → Teams with Arceus-Fairy →

Terapagos

Normal SOFT CHECK

153.836

44.1% dies 6.80%

DAMAGE CALC

0- SpA Terapagos Tera Starstorm vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus: 52-63 (11.7 - 14.1%) -- possible 8HKO

View Terapagos counters → Teams with Terapagos →

Ursaluna-Bloodmoon

GroundNormal SOFT CHECK

46.223

43.9% dies 9.70%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ SpA Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Blood Moon vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus: 165-195 (37.1 - 43.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

View Ursaluna-Bloodmoon counters → Teams with Ursaluna-Bloodmoon →

Kyurem-Black

DragonIce SOFT CHECK

235.724

43.6% dies 5.54%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Kyurem-Black Dragon Claw vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 151-178 (34 - 40%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

View Kyurem-Black counters → Teams with Kyurem-Black →

Glimmora

RockPoison SOFT CHECK

580.32

43.6% dies 3.52%

DAMAGE CALC

0- SpA Glimmora Power Gem vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Arceus: 63-75 (14.1 - 16.8%) -- possible 6HKO

View Glimmora counters → Teams with Glimmora →

Calyrex-Shadow

PsychicGhost SOFT CHECK

6,070.532

41.8% dies 1.10%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ SpA Calyrex-Shadow Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus: 147-174 (33.1 - 39.1%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO

View Calyrex-Shadow counters → Teams with Calyrex-Shadow →

Ranked #4 with 40.03% usage. Sorted by reliability score.